This is the 23rd part in a series recounting the 2005 Ashes, as it occurred a decade ago.

It’s all come down to Monday, September 12. The motives are simple: England need to bat all day to guarantee they regain the Ashes; Australia need to bowl the hosts out and hope there’s enough time to reach the target. For neutrals, a perfect finish would be England all out around tea, allowing Australia one session to make enough runs to win, meaning they’d take a T20I or ODI approach.

Morning

Vaughan & Trescothick walk out to tremendous applause from the England faithful, and the captain responds by sending the second ball of the day for a boundary. McGrath and Lee alternate overs, with conditions perfect, allowing both fast bowlers to participate. However, Warne’s break is brief; he limits runs to start, but sloppy fielding keeps the batsmen not out. But in over 23, Australia strike; McGrath baits Vaughan into edging behind, and Gilchrist makes an excellent dive for the catch. The next ball, Bell edges to Warne at slip, and McGrath finds himself on the verge of a hat-trick. That delivery is deflected off Pietersen’s shoulder, and although it’s caught, Billy Bowden correctly rules it wasn’t off the bat. Trescothick adopts a more defensive approach, letting Pietersen take charge. When Lee begins a new spell, he nearly gets the South African-born batsman, but Warne drops the edge at slip! Pietersen then starts and ends a Warne over with sixes. The spinner remains determined, getting Trescothick lbw, before getting Flintoff caught & bowled for 8. Pietersen, with some minor assistance from Collingwood, guides England to 127/5 at lunch; it’s playing out just the way neutrals would’ve hoped.

Afternoon

Collingwood struggles to get his first run of the innings, while Pietersen plays aggressively, inspired by his captain’s pep talk during the interval. He brings up his 50 and England’s 150 by hitting boundaries off Lee, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in the world in 2005. Pietersen’s batting is symbolic of the entire summer; that England were not going to roll over and lose another Ashes series tamely. McGrath and Warne quickly limit the run-making with several maiden overs, but neither can find a wicket until Collingwood, while defending, sends a ball to Ponting. Pietersen reaches the 80s, taking control of his partnership with Jones. Tait bowls his first over of the innings in the 57th, and while it starts with consecutive Pietersen boundaries, the bowler finds Jones’ off stump for the seventh wicket. Giles brings up the 200, but there’s still plenty of time for Australia to bat if they can keep getting wickets. Pietersen gets to the “Nervy Nineties,” looking for his very first Test century. He gets it with a boundary off Tait to extra cover, a fantastic performance for a player making only his fifth Test appearance. He and Giles see out the rest of the over; England are 221/7 at tea, still time for Australia if they get the remaining three wickets quickly.

Evening

Giles and Pietersen dig in for what they hope is a long partnership at bat, with the match still in the balance. Giles directs a Lee delivery for four, while Pietersen maintains his aggressive stance seeking boundaries. They bring up the 250, while Ponting summons McGrath, likely Australia’s last roll of the dice to get a result. But in the 79th over, Giles gets two fours off the fast bowler, followed by Pietersen bringing up his 150 off Warne and effectively ending any doubt. McGrath eventually bowls the centurion for 158, as Pietersen is deservedly given a warm ovation. It also proves the final broadcast spell on British television for longtime commentator Richie Benaud, a poignant moment for cricket historians.

Giles & Hoggard play conservatively, trying to bat out the rest of the day, but Giles falls after a well-played 59, followed by Harmison. As Australia exits the field, the crowd is aware that this is likely the last Ashes Test in England for two of the greatest bowlers in the game: Glenn McGrath & Shane Warne. The two are duly given a warm ovation as they enter the dressing room.

England finish the second innings 335 all out. Australia need 342 runs to win.

Australia have 18 overs to make 342 runs, a rate of 19 per over. Not impossible, but especially given that this is a Test, highly unlikely. Nonetheless, Hayden & Langer walk to the crease for their second innings, the former to face the first ball. Langer’s shoulder deflects the fourth ball to the boundary for four leg byes, when the batsmen accept the light and exit the field. Play has not been officially called yet, as England fans have to decide whether or not to begin celebrating. After a lengthy deliberation, umpires Billy Bowden & Rudi Koertzen eventually make their way back to the stumps and remove the bails simultaneously, ending the series. After two decades of being second-best to their rivals, England have regained the Ashes!

Australia are 4/0 in the second innings when the match ends.

The fifth Test is drawn. England wins the series 2-1.